Gov. Herbert asks 50,000 residents to lend their voices to plan for Utah’s future
Envision Utah’s “Your Utah, Your Future” campaign to build foundation for a quality future even with a doubled population
SALT LAKE CITY (April 7, 2015) — Gov. Gary R. Herbert announced the next step in Envision Utah’s “Your Utah, Your Future” campaign today, a statewide effort to gather 50,000 Utah voices on eleven key areas to help leaders plan for a population that is anticipated to almost double by 2050.
“In Utah, we don’t believe in sitting back and seeing where growth will take us,” said Gov. Herbert. “Growth requires us to look forward proactively and take a thoughtful approach to ensure we maintain a high quality of life and strong economy in the decades to come.”
Residents are encouraged to visit the Envision Utah website and give their voice on eleven issues that state leaders and planners consider critical in anticipating future growth challenges.
The survey asks Utahns to choose among alternative futures that impact the following eleven areas:
● Air Quality
● Education
● Energy
● Housing and Cost of Living
● Jobs and Economy
● Public Lands
● Recreation
● Agriculture
● Transportation and Communities
● Water
● Disaster Resilience
The “Your Utah, Your Future” campaign will be the largest public outreach effort of its kind in the nation. Information gathered from the surveys will be used to create growth strategies with significant input from the public. Information on these key areas is woven into the survey, and participants can learn more about the topics or focus on those that interest them most.
This is the second time Envision Utah has asked Utah to help plan for the future. The first effort took place in the late 1996 and laid the groundwork for the high quality of life we enjoy today, even as we’ve added almost a million people to the Wasatch area over the last fifteen years.
“If you live in Utah, your voice is critical,” said Robert Grow, president and CEO of Envision Utah. “This is your chance to choose a future for your children and grandchildren. Together, we can keep Utah beautiful, prosperous, healthy and neighborly for current and future generations.”
For more information on the “Your Utah, Your Future” initiative, visit www.envisionutah.org.
ABOUT ENVISION UTAH
Envision Utah is a nonprofit public/private partnership that facilitates informed public involvement to explore land use, transportation, and environmental solutions to the challenges presented by growth. Their transparent grassroots approach draws on public values, research, scenarios analysis, powerful technology and community visioning. Envision Utah has been invited into regions experiencing political stalemate and has successfully helped residents find common ground and a consensus vision for the future. Its innovative approach is replicable and overcomes skepticism often associated with government initiatives. Envision Utah has initiated demonstration projects in dozens of jurisdictions in Utah and has shared its model with over 80 regions in the United States and 14 foreign countries. According to national planning leaders, projects inspired by Envision Utah have positively affected over 55 million people in the United States.
